$2,500 Gaming Pc Build Help

[Invicto]

Hello!

This is my first post at Tom's and I was hoping to get some build ideas from the people who know so much more than I do.

About Me: I am a College student majoring in EE. So, I have a lot of experience in troubleshooting anything electrical, and I would like to believe that I have a good knowledge of software and hardware. What I don't know how to do, I can learn. I have NEVER built my own pc and would like to graduate from pre built computers, so let's get on to it!

About the pc: I am looking to build a pc that fits the following parameters: (in order of importance)

1. It needs to be able to handle most games at full load. The games I play the most are Starcraft 2 (realistically, only need ultra for campaign. I play on low for 1v1 games). Dota 2, LoL, and I would like to be able to play the call of duty && battlefield series games. I want to leave console gaming in the dust.

2. It needs to be able to handle multi tasking. Ideally, I would like to have a dual monitor setup that will allow me to run my IDE's with multiple instances of AVR studio and Cad software.

3. It needs to run COOL.

4. It needs to load fast - trouble deciding on going with a ram disk or ssds. Help me out!

5. Budget constraint of $2,500 USD. +/- anything reasonable. I have the important custom peripherals already.

6. If at all possible, and If you haven't spent too much time helping me already. (I know that your time is valuable and I appreciate all of the help), please include a pcpartschecker link.

7. Please don't just post plain builds, I would really appreciate it if you could accompany the build with reasoning as to why you chose the components that you have. I value your opinions.

Thank you guys!

 

[Computerchap]

Alright, I went with this build http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1YmRT And here's why 1: The i5 is fine for gaming and leaves overclocking space. 2: I went with water cooling as that's the most quiet cool option. 3: I went with 8 GB of ram because that will work fine for gaming. 4: I went with the ASUS Z87 PRO, because it has built in wifi and ASUS makes good stuff. I went with an 840 EVO 120 GB for the boot drive and a 2 TB Seagate barracuda for files, the 840 EVO will boot up insanely fast and the Seagate is a 7200 RPM so it's pretty snappy. 5: I went with a 780 because 1 it comes with AC4 Batman Arkham Origins and Splinter Cell Blacklist. 6: I went with a Fractal Design Define R4 as it is very silent sexy and a great case. 7: The drive I chose is a blu-ray drive so you can watch movies. 8: I threw in a OS as I wasn't sure if you had one. This totals in at $1600 MUCH below your budget. Hell you could go with 16 GB of ram if you want http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1YmRT

 

[bigshootr8]

Here is a possible solution for you

CPU: A unlocked i7 which will do quite well for professional work because of the processing power and the fact that it has Hyper Threading.
Memory/OS: I went with windows 7 professional mainly because you are doing professional work at 16 gigabytes of ram may not be enough for you with the professional version you can go north of 100 GB of ram not that anyone would with home premium 16 GB is the ceiling.
Motherboard: I went with the GD-65 because its well reviewed it looks good its fairly low cost for a mid enthusiast board and it has a Post LED which will come useful if you run across any issues.
GPU: I would of gone with the 290x given that its more directed towards Battlefield however its not a very quiet card and it runs quite hot. I went with the EVGA Geforce GTX780. Why? Because EVGA has really great Customer service and warranty support. Because the card runs relatively quiet looks amazing the metal finish and all. And with CUDA should do fine with programs you may have that can utilize that as well.
HDD: I went with a higher quality SSD with higher quality NAND. I went with a 1 TB drive as a storage drive you can go with something larger if you want WD has their 2 TB in Caviar Black but its a little louder and perhaps a little warmer to.
PSU: Went with a Corsair Unit I really like the customer service that they rendered. The one thing I try to keep consistent with my builds is having a company that is easy to deal with come issues arising. Plus Corsair makes pretty solid PSU's.
CPU cooler: I went with a Noctua Cooler over a AIO water cooler mainly because well I would recommend their fans which aren't cheap 16-25 dollars so if you get the cooler you get 2 of their fans plus the cooler so its a bargain if you ask me.
Case: I went with a case with a window in the Fractal Design Define R4 which comes in 3 colors Black Pearl, White, and Grey. It also comes in a non window design which has extra sound dampening padding. The case is really easy to build in and has fairly good thermals so you won't need to worry about your case running hot. It also comes with dust filters which you can remove and clean via paint brush, water, or compressed air.
The extra money: I would spend on monitors if you need higher quality monitors. Maybe games that you are interested in, or save it. I don't believe you need to spend the full 2500 to get what you are after just my opinion.

Also to note I tried to stick with a consistent theme red and black the cooler kind of throws that off but its okay.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($309.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($77.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: MSI Z87-GD65 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($159.99 @ Microcenter)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($122.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($214.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($76.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($529.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 650W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($104.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24F1ST DVD/CD Writer ($16.00 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($129.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1833.86
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-06 15:55 EST-0500)

 

[Alpha-Black]

Hello!

This is my first post at Tom's and I was hoping to get some build ideas from the people who know so much more than I do.

About Me: I am a College student majoring in EE. So, I have a lot of experience in troubleshooting anything electrical, and I would like to believe that I have a good knowledge of software and hardware. What I don't know how to do, I can learn. I have NEVER built my own pc and would like to graduate from pre built computers, so let's get on to it!

About the pc: I am looking to build a pc that fits the following parameters: (in order of importance)

1. It needs to be able to handle most games at full load. The games I play the most are Starcraft 2 (realistically, only need ultra for campaign. I play on low for 1v1 games). Dota 2, LoL, and I would like to be able to play the call of duty && battlefield series games. I want to leave console gaming in the dust.

2. It needs to be able to handle multi tasking. Ideally, I would like to have a dual monitor setup that will allow me to run my IDE's with multiple instances of AVR studio and Cad software.

3. It needs to run COOL.

4. It needs to load fast - trouble deciding on going with a ram disk or ssds. Help me out!

5. Budget constraint of $2,500 USD. +/- anything reasonable. I have the important custom peripherals already.

6. If at all possible, and If you haven't spent too much time helping me already. (I know that your time is valuable and I appreciate all of the help), please include a pcpartschecker link.

7. Please don't just post plain builds, I would really appreciate it if you could accompany the build with reasoning as to why you chose the components that you have. I value your opinions.

Thank you guys!

Nothing left behind mate even Headphone. LOL

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1Ynld
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1Ynld/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1Ynld/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($309.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($99.99 @ TigerDirect)
Motherboard: Asus Z87-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($139.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($144.00 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($189.99 @ Adorama)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.59 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($511.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair 600T Mesh (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($129.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 750W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($56.23 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 - OEM (64-bit) ($98.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Asus VG248QE 144Hz 24.0" Monitor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Corsair Vengeance K70 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($109.99 @ NCIX US)
Mouse: Corsair Vengeance M95 Wired Laser Mouse ($59.99 @ Microcenter)
Headphones: Corsair Vengeance 1400 Headset ($91.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $2347.68
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-06 16:04 EST-0500)

This rig will run every single thing you want.

 

[Marcopolo123]

not sure whether you want to overclock. so i pick a xeon e3 1230 v3, its a i7-4770 without integrated gpu.

although you cant overclock that xeon i choose an z87 motherboard and 750w power supply to leave the option to add a second gtx 780...
you can change to a h87/b85 motherboard and a 500w+ psu if you dont plan to.




PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1230 V3 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($244.48 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87X-D3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($139.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($119.00 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($169.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($76.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: PNY GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($469.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Arctic White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($94.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: XFX ProSeries 750W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($114.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24F1ST DVD/CD Writer ($16.00 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 - OEM (64-bit) ($98.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1575.37
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-06 17:09 EST-0500)

 

[Invicto]

So far so Great! I am liking a lot of your solutions. . . I am seeing some varied opinions, and I really like them. Any input on haswell vs ivy bridge?

 

[Computerchap]

Haswell, is the never version and is around 10% faster. If you don't have a haswell motherboard I don't think it's worth upgrading for ivy bridge, but if you're building a new machine might as well go with the newest CPU.

 

[bigshootr8]

Yea I would agree.

1. if you have a 1155 motherboard currently.
a. Ivy bridge if you can find it
2. If you do not have a 1155 motherboard go with haswell which is 1150.

 

[sora]

Go with an SSD if you want it to "load fast". Also, Marcopolo has a good build and you should go with that. (you don't need 16gb ram though but since you have the money, who cares?)

 

[bigshootr8]

Go with an SSD if you want it to "load fast". Also, Marcopolo has a good build and you should go with that. (you don't need 16gb ram though but since you have the money, who cares?)

Read his initial post and his usage. It encompasses more then just games.

 

[g-unit1111]

For gaming an i7 and a Xeon E3 are completely unnecessary. You don't get back what you spend extra in terms of performance. I'd personally also forgo the expensive peripherals. What you should be doing with that money is paying more for the best graphics solution that you can for your budget. You want dual GTX 770 or GTX 780, as that will provide FPS rates that exceed the $1000 Titan. If you plan to run Engineering apps the 4670K should be fine but if you use AutoCAD or Revit you'll need the 4770K.

This is what I would do:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Swiftech H220 55.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($149.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme6 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($72.00 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($127.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($509.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($509.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Phantom 630 (Gunmetal) ATX Full Tower Case ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: NZXT HALE90 V2 850W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $2206.90
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-06 18:53 EST-0500)

This gives you $300 left over for a nice monitor, OS license, or whatever else you need.

- Case: NZXT Phantom 630 is large enough for custom water cooling
- Swiftech H220 is better than Corsair H100i as it allows you to loop GPUs
- Dual GTX 780 is the best GPU combination you can get currently (see: http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/geforce_gtx_770_sli_review,13.html)
- Power Supply is made by Super Flower and is among the best units you can buy on the market (see: http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=199 )

 

[Alpha-Black]

Go with an SSD if you want it to "load fast". Also, Marcopolo has a good build and you should go with that. (you don't need 16gb ram though but since you have the money, who cares?)

Shitting is your habit or you do this willingly every time. Marcopolo's rig is great .read demands then say something about ram.if you know something about computers .DO NOT misguide people if you don't know about things.

 

[Alpha-Black]

For gaming an i7 and a Xeon E3 are completely unnecessary. You don't get back what you spend extra in terms of performance. I'd personally also forgo the expensive peripherals. What you should be doing with that money is paying more for the best graphics solution that you can for your budget. You want dual GTX 770 or GTX 780, as that will provide FPS rates that exceed the $1000 Titan. If you plan to run Engineering apps the 4670K should be fine but if you use AutoCAD or Revit you'll need the 4770K.

This is what I would do:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Swiftech H220 55.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($149.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme6 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($72.00 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($127.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($509.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($509.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Phantom 630 (Gunmetal) ATX Full Tower Case ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: NZXT HALE90 V2 850W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $2206.90
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-06 18:53 EST-0500)

This gives you $300 left over for a nice monitor, OS license, or whatever else you need.

- Case: NZXT Phantom 630 is large enough for custom water cooling
- Swiftech H220 is better than Corsair H100i as it allows you to loop GPUs
- Dual GTX 780 is the best GPU combination you can get currently (see: http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/geforce_gtx_770_sli_review,13.html)
- Power Supply is made by Super Flower and is among the best units you can buy on the market (see: http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=199 )

Holy mother.LOL.
you unleashed the best out.

but will it not smoke out on video rendering ? then i7 needed
and H220 swiftech also allow new users to leak .hahahahahhhhhah

 

[sora]

Go with an SSD if you want it to "load fast". Also, Marcopolo has a good build and you should go with that. (you don't need 16gb ram though but since you have the money, who cares?)

Shitting is your habit or you do this willingly every time. Marcopolo's rig is great .read demands then say something about ram.if you know something about computers .DO NOT misguide people if you don't know about things.

I did say it was good though, did I say his was bad? Thanks for flaming me! Must make you feel tough over the web

 

[Alpha-Black]

Go with an SSD if you want it to "load fast". Also, Marcopolo has a good build and you should go with that. (you don't need 16gb ram though but since you have the money, who cares?)

Shitting is your habit or you do this willingly every time. Marcopolo's rig is great .read demands then say something about ram.if you know something about computers .DO NOT misguide people if you don't know about things.

I did say it was good though, did I say his was bad? Thanks for flaming me! Must make you feel tough over the web

Learn buddy. you want info.PM me i'll help you out as much as i know. we contact eachother for info about new parts .i know about haswel tech not more then 40% i'm leaning it from many ways.
i never wanted to hurt your feelings i'm sorry if you felt that way.i'm actually pushing you to learn coz its 7 time i saw you are giving wrong info.
I know you want to help and i want you to be like us helping others
many times i'm wrong marcopolo me and all of use fight but with valid reasons i do mistakes too and get corrected by others i read every single rig posted by others and learn from that .i learn from best answers as well.
Start from best answer reading. you'll be better then me in one month.
Sorry again.

 

[bigshootr8]

not sure whether you want to overclock. so i pick a xeon e3 1230 v3, its a i7-4770 without integrated gpu.

although you cant overclock that xeon i choose an z87 motherboard and 750w power supply to leave the option to add a second gtx 780...
you can change to a h87/b85 motherboard and a 500w+ psu if you dont plan to.




PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1230 V3 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($244.48 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87X-D3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($139.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($119.00 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($169.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($76.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: PNY GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card ($469.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Arctic White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($94.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: XFX ProSeries 750W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($114.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24F1ST DVD/CD Writer ($16.00 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 - OEM (64-bit) ($98.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1575.37
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-06 17:09 EST-0500)

Very sneaky with the Xeon there sir. You just have to be careful I know that not all motherboards will on paper show it as a supported CPU although in just about every case it is.

I don't care much for PNY their coolers are bunk and where as they have a heavily discounted reference cooler I'm not sure I would give them my money.

And the SSD is not a bad price either. I would want the pro for the MLC since if I were him I'd use it as a scratch drive as well as a game/os drive. But for that price you can't argue a whole lot against it.

With windows its really personal flavor. I hate Metro that's what a lot of people know it as even though its not called that anymore some know it as modern UI w.e. Overall Windows 7 is all one needs sure in some areas their are less resources used. But when it comes down to compatibility issues Windows 7 Pro will have a far easier time with hardware, software, and games.

 

[Computerchap]

For gaming an i7 and a Xeon E3 are completely unnecessary. You don't get back what you spend extra in terms of performance. I'd personally also forgo the expensive peripherals. What you should be doing with that money is paying more for the best graphics solution that you can for your budget. You want dual GTX 770 or GTX 780, as that will provide FPS rates that exceed the $1000 Titan. If you plan to run Engineering apps the 4670K should be fine but if you use AutoCAD or Revit you'll need the 4770K.

This is what I would do:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Swiftech H220 55.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($149.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme6 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($72.00 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($127.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($509.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($509.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Phantom 630 (Gunmetal) ATX Full Tower Case ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: NZXT HALE90 V2 850W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $2206.90
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-06 18:53 EST-0500)

This gives you $300 left over for a nice monitor, OS license, or whatever else you need.

- Case: NZXT Phantom 630 is large enough for custom water cooling
- Swiftech H220 is better than Corsair H100i as it allows you to loop GPUs
- Dual GTX 780 is the best GPU combination you can get currently (see: http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/geforce_gtx_770_sli_review,13.html)
- Power Supply is made by Super Flower and is among the best units you can buy on the market (see: http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=199 )

This is probably the best build.

 

[bigshootr8]

2. It needs to be able to handle multi tasking. Ideally, I would like to have a dual monitor setup that will allow me to run my IDE's with multiple instances of AVR studio and Cad software.

Since when does anyone need two 780's in SLi if the guy is doing professional work and gaming he would be better off with a solid 2-3 monitors rather than a SLi setup. And last I checked professional programs don't utilize SLi. 1x 780 is enough to power any game currently out at 1080 and probably even up to 1440p at near max settings. He'd be better off spending the extra money on a solid mechanical keyboard or a ProArt IPS panel from ASUS. Especially when hes probably only running games at 1080p anyway running two 780's at 1080p is overkill.

 

[Invicto]

For gaming an i7 and a Xeon E3 are completely unnecessary. You don't get back what you spend extra in terms of performance. I'd personally also forgo the expensive peripherals. What you should be doing with that money is paying more for the best graphics solution that you can for your budget. You want dual GTX 770 or GTX 780, as that will provide FPS rates that exceed the $1000 Titan. If you plan to run Engineering apps the 4670K should be fine but if you use AutoCAD or Revit you'll need the 4770K.

This is what I would do:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Swiftech H220 55.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($149.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme6 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($72.00 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($127.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($509.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($509.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Phantom 630 (Gunmetal) ATX Full Tower Case ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: NZXT HALE90 V2 850W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $2206.90
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-06 18:53 EST-0500)

This gives you $300 left over for a nice monitor, OS license, or whatever else you need.

- Case: NZXT Phantom 630 is large enough for custom water cooling
- Swiftech H220 is better than Corsair H100i as it allows you to loop GPUs
- Dual GTX 780 is the best GPU combination you can get currently (see: http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/geforce_gtx_770_sli_review,13.html)
- Power Supply is made by Super Flower and is among the best units you can buy on the market (see: http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=199 )

Thanks! I really like this solution. I guess i'll be going with the 4770k. I like the idea of dual graphics cards. Rendering on two monitors is a hefty load- I just assumed I would need something in the ballpark of a titan.

 

[Invicto]

2. It needs to be able to handle multi tasking. Ideally, I would like to have a dual monitor setup that will allow me to run my IDE's with multiple instances of AVR studio and Cad software.

Since when does anyone need two 780's in SLi if the guy is doing professional work and gaming he would be better off with a solid 2-3 monitors rather than a SLi setup. And last I checked professional programs don't utilize SLi. 1x 780 is enough to power any game currently out at 1080 and probably even up to 1440p at near max settings. He'd be better off spending the extra money on a solid mechanical keyboard or a ProArt IPS panel from ASUS. Especially when hes probably only running games at 1080p anyway running two 780's at 1080p is overkill.

Thanks for the input. But, I already own two Das keyboards. Brown & Black switches. I have also had to purchase a 246Q for Robotics. I like how you know about IPS displays.

 

[g-unit1111]

Thanks! I really like this solution. I guess i'll be going with the 4770k. I like the idea of dual graphics cards. Rendering on two monitors is a hefty load- I just assumed I would need something in the ballpark of a titan.

Yeah if you check the link I posted dual GTX 780 far surpass a single Titan in terms of FPS and rendering quality.

 

[bigshootr8]

2. It needs to be able to handle multi tasking. Ideally, I would like to have a dual monitor setup that will allow me to run my IDE's with multiple instances of AVR studio and Cad software.

Since when does anyone need two 780's in SLi if the guy is doing professional work and gaming he would be better off with a solid 2-3 monitors rather than a SLi setup. And last I checked professional programs don't utilize SLi. 1x 780 is enough to power any game currently out at 1080 and probably even up to 1440p at near max settings. He'd be better off spending the extra money on a solid mechanical keyboard or a ProArt IPS panel from ASUS. Especially when hes probably only running games at 1080p anyway running two 780's at 1080p is overkill.

Thanks for the input. But, I already own two Das keyboards. Brown & Black switches. I have also had to purchase a 246Q for Robotics. I like how you know about IPS displays.

Of course I have a ASUS PB238Q I wanted to get the 246Q but it was a bit more expensive and I didn't have the money for it Looks like you have quite the taste in keyboards their.

And in terms of games your FPS will be higher sure. But consider this anything beyond 60 frames is waste on a 60hz panel. You have a 60hz screen was just trying to save you a little.

The advantage mainly of a titan is the single precision feature its unlocked on the Titan and its locked on all other Geforce cards. People typically associate the Titan as a pure gaming card and its not its in my eyes a budget gaming/professional card. However given the performance you get gaming wise out of the 780 whose arguing against it

 

[Invicto]

2. It needs to be able to handle multi tasking. Ideally, I would like to have a dual monitor setup that will allow me to run my IDE's with multiple instances of AVR studio and Cad software.

Since when does anyone need two 780's in SLi if the guy is doing professional work and gaming he would be better off with a solid 2-3 monitors rather than a SLi setup. And last I checked professional programs don't utilize SLi. 1x 780 is enough to power any game currently out at 1080 and probably even up to 1440p at near max settings. He'd be better off spending the extra money on a solid mechanical keyboard or a ProArt IPS panel from ASUS. Especially when hes probably only running games at 1080p anyway running two 780's at 1080p is overkill.

Thanks for the input. But, I already own two Das keyboards. Brown & Black switches. I have also had to purchase a 246Q for Robotics. I like how you know about IPS displays.

Of course I have a ASUS PB238Q I wanted to get the 246Q but it was a bit more expensive and I didn't have the money for it Looks like you have quite the taste in keyboards their.

And in terms of games your FPS will be higher sure. But consider this anything beyond 60 frames is waste on a 60hz panel. You have a 60hz screen was just trying to save you a little.

The advantage mainly of a titan is the single precision feature its unlocked on the Titan and its locked on all other Geforce cards. People typically associate the Titan as a pure gaming card and its not its in my eyes a budget gaming/professional card. However given the performance you get gaming wise out of the 780 whose arguing against it

You make some valid points. . . But, I have approx. 300 left on that budget, so that I could also purchase a benq gaming monitor. They have 144hz refresh rates specifically for fps games. Then I can use the IPS for my cad software.

 

[bigshootr8]

You definitely could I personally would love to play with a 144hz screen just for the more fluid gaming the experience is a bit different. I saw a 200+ hz television in a retail store and man it had a different feel a good one.